The Stratford District Council Citizens Awards are held each year to formally recognise those individuals that give
significant amounts of their time and energy to the community.
“We have some truly dedicated and hardworking individuals in our community which makes this one of the most special
times of the year, when we get to recognise these champions of our district,” says Mayor Neil Volzke.
“The ability to award the Outstanding Citizen Award for a second year in a row adds to the excitement,” said Mayor
Volzke.
The Outstanding Citizen Award was introduced in 2018 to recognise a person who has made an extra special contribution to
the community, and is presented at the discretion of the selection panel.
Friends and family are invited to attend the awards ceremony on Tuesday 30 July 5.30pm at the Council Chambers. Full
interviews with the recipients will be shown on the night.
The 2019 Stratford District Council Citizen Award recipients are:
Outstanding Citizen Award Recipient: Margaret Vickers.
Citizen Award Recipients: Judy Drummond, Diann Jeffares, Raewyn McDonald and John More.
Margaret Vickers
Margaret VickersMargaret was born and bred in Stratford and grew up in a dairying family. Today she is proud to note
that her family farm is now being run by its sixth generation. Margaret was awarded a Citizens Award in 2000 which was a
direct recognition of the significant amount of work she had done through her membership of Rural Women, various
community groups and as the unofficial Mayoress of Midhirst.
Margaret has not slowed down in the 19 years that have followed her Citizens Award. She was a founding member of the
Stratford Community House Trust and the Stratford Positive Ageing Group. Ten years on, she is pleased to see the
Community House in full operation and addressing a community need. She is most fond of the Positive Ageing Forum with
Billie Jordan who brought her group ‘The Hip Op-eration Crew’ to Stratford. These forums are important to the district
and she has always found it rewarding when attendees note what they have learned at them.
She has remained an active member of the Stratford Floral Art and many of her creations have been front of house at
civic events. Her work with Rural Women and the Midhirst community has continued to be an important part of her life.
She noted that collating the emergency packages after the 2015 June storm events was one of the most overwhelming
experiences she has been a part of with Rural Women.
Margaret has been a stalwart champion of our district and her continuation of service to our community is nothing short
of outstanding. Margaret says, “I love to see a community thriving and moving forward” and she has certainly been a big
part in helping Stratford achieve this.
Judy Drummond
Judy DHaving grown up in Nelson, Judy “came back to her roots” in 1964 to study nursing at the then Stratford Hospital.
She met her husband Graeme soon after and began their farming career on Beaconsfield Road where they lived for 25 odd
years and raised their children.
Judy returned to nursing in 1978 and dedicated roughly 37 years of her life to this. She held many roles during this
time including the afternoon charge nurse at the hospital. She moved into district nursing following the closure of the
Stratford Hospital, a role that saw her travel far and wide to service the central and coastal areas of Taranaki.
Her long nursing career, and in particular her work in palliative care, saw her gain qualifications in hospice
palliative care which has led to her involvement in Taranaki Hospice as a trustee and the Hospice Group as a biographer.
The role of biographer sees Judy visiting people in their homes to record precious life stories and memories for their
loved ones – a task she finds extremely humbling.
Judy’s other community commitments include being a member of the Stratford Women’s Club, a Stratford Lion and a
committee member of the Stratford Rugby Club – a result of following her boys rugby for over 30 years!
She has always been a keen sportsperson and is now an active member of the Stratford Croquet Club – as well as being the
secretary!On top of all her community commitments she also has seven grandchildren keeping her busy, especially on
Saturday mornings moving from soccer, to netball to rugby. She was extremely proud of her grandson Lachlan when he was
awarded a Youth Citizen Award in 2018 but was “totally dumbfounded” when she was notified of her award, saying, “I could
never have done anything without the support of my family.”
Diann Jeffares
Diann JDiann grew up in Stratford and says it was a privilege, having a lot of freedom to enjoy life when she was
younger. A keen sportsperson Diann played squash, tennis, badminton and was a very good basketballer. Her Mum, Dot, was
a dance teacher, and those talents were passed down to Diann who said many mornings before school involved dance
practice. She went on to help her mum with teaching, and soon took up her own dance studio.
Diann has been hugely influential in the dance community, teaching young girls and boys between 4 and 19 years old for
over 55 years, and is still going strong. She covers everything from ballet, tap and jazz through to musical theatre.
She enjoys teaching and says it’s nice to be a part of their lives, with many now grown up but still keeping in touch.
Diann volunteers much of her time to her faith, the Catholic Church, which began some 33 years ago when she was asked to
be a Eucharistic Minister, delivering communion at church and in the community. She also spent a lot of her time at St
Joseph’s School as a parent helper, a passion that later saw her qualify as a Teacher Aide. She spent 20 years at St
Joseph’s, fondly remembered by students as “Mrs J, because Jeffares was too hard to pronounce,” said Diann.
Her involvement in community organisations started at a young age, joining Rotaract in the early 70’s in what was her
first secretarial role. Since then Diann has played a large part in the community, including nine years as Mayoress when
husband Brian held the office of Mayor. Diann said these were very busy years with many highlights, attending a number
of functions nationally and locally. Her attendance at Civic Functions hasn’t slowed down since, being a regular at
ANZAC wreath making sessions.
Diann’s other passions include singing, sparking an interest in joining the Stratford Singers when Stratford attended
the Stratford’s of the World event in the UK. She is also a member of the Stratford Women’s Club. Diann now joins her
husband in receiving a Citizen Award, with Brian acknowledged in 2013. Something their three children and grandchildren
will be very proud of.
Raewyn McDonald
Raewyn MRaewyn was born and grew up in Stratford and was a familiar face at the Farmers Co-Op in Stratford before
beginning her own family. The family moved to Australia and Cambridge following her husband’s work but returned “home”
to Stratford where both their parents were still living.
You will recognise Raewyn as a committed Stratford Lion, being involved in most of their fundraising events and
community activities including meals on wheels and blood donor drives. She has currently held the role of secretary and
is the almoner for the club – which means she looks after those in our community who look after others! She is also the
secretary for the Stratford Women’s Club and sits on the Marire Rest Home committee and is involved with the Cancer
Society’s Daffodil Day and Tree of Remembrance at Christmas.
For the last five years Raewyn’s giving nature has seen her volunteer most of her time, three days a week officially, to
Pregnancy Help. Pregnancy Help supports parents for those early years. Raewyn says this can include everything from free
pregnancy tests, courses on first aid and ante-natal classes, to breast pumps and a nappy bank. What’s most amazing is
their clothing packages, both maternity and baby clothing. Every three months Raewyn and the team send a new clothing
package to the families they service. This can include babies from premature age right through to two year olds. In the
last year Pregnancy Help have been able to support 520 new families with free confidential advice and support.
Raewyn takes pride in the resources they offer to families, going above and beyond to support with extra washing,
sewing, and knitting for the organisation beyond her volunteer hours. “We just love it,” says Raewyn, referring to
herself and the three other volunteers and one paid staff member who run the service. “The difference it makes in their
lives is worth it.”
John More
John MJohn was born and bred in Stratford. He met his wife Noelene at high school, and then completed a building
apprenticeship with Boon Brothers. In 1962 he chose to go down the farming path, taking up a share milking job on
Croydon Road.
John and Noelene farmed on Croydon Road for eight years, during which he became secretary of the Croydon School
Committee. “It was one of those things that you were expected to do. I remember coming home and Noelene telling me I
don’t know a thing about being a secretary,” said John. It was the start of many committee positions, after the family
moved to Cardiff in 1971 he was elected as Chairman of Pembroke School until his youngest left for high school. He was
also an active member of the Pembroke Hall Committee and supported many fundraising and development efforts. They lived
on Cardiff Road until the move into Stratford in 2017.
In 1991 he was sworn in as a Justice of the Peace (JP), providing services to the district and wider for close to 30
years now. This led to being one of the few hundred specially trained judicial JP’s in New Zealand.
John has been a dedicated member of many community organisations, notably the RSA on both a local level as Chair and
national level on the Executive Committee. He has also held positions as Master for the Stratford Masonic Lodge, and
then District Master for the North Island and has been involved with the Scottish Society since 1971. He has picked up
Life Memberships at all three of these organisations, including now being a Patron of the Scottish Society. That might
be something to do with his ability to recite the “Ode to the Haggis” off by heart!
He is also part of the Taranaki Patriotic Trust which distributes funds to individuals and organisations in Taranaki.
John has put a lot of hours into this community, but in his humble way, he says, “I’ve been pretty lucky to have a wife
and family that has allowed me to do these things. It’s been a pleasure.”
ends